racing seats / cockpit setups

M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
I've seen this asked a few times in different driving threads, but thought it'd be good to have its own thread as its not specific to any one driving game.

Who has a dedicated setup for driving games? Force feedback wheels are great, but not so good if you have to balance them on your knees while sitting on your sofa.


It'd be good to hear more about extravagent cockpit setups with dedicated monitors etc; DIY setups made on the cheap from bits of wood or metal; and simple setups that can be hidden away easily and brought out to use in the lounge without upsetting your significant other.

so, what have you got? What do you lust after?
 
I don't have one at present, but I would like to get one from Bob Earl Racing at some point. They are pretty nice setups and the price is not prohibitively expensive.
 
I'd love one, but it'd need to fold down as small as possible and be light enough to carry upstairs when not being used. RB drums, two guitars and a wii fit board are already pushing my wife's tolerance to the limits.
 
What a nice and fitting thread. I'm seeking some information here as well. My brother wants to go balls out and get such a seat and I don't know what to choose (from)
 
mrklaw said:
What do you lust after?
Click to expand...
It would be awesome to have the Forza setup from this past E3.

It would be interesting to see that setup with a Force Dynamics 401 though, which has more motion axes - roll, pitch, heave (vertical) and yaw.

Force Dynamics 401 video 1 - LFS
Force Dynamics 401 - How to Ruin a Rally Car has the rig setup to match orientation instead of acceleration - results in hilarious results due to a rollover
Complete overkill - Force Dynamics 301 setup with SNES Super Mario Kart, the way the rig hops when you do a jump is awesome
 
Sadaiyappan said:
Is that forza setup running off of one XBOX 360? Logitech Driving Force EX is only $35 at amazon.com
Click to expand...
You need 3 consoles for the triple monitor config. Same with the Gran Turismo games.
 
XiaNaphryz said:
It would be awesome to have the Forza setup from this past E3.

It would be interesting to see that setup with a Force Dynamics 401 though, which has more motion axes - roll, pitch, heave (vertical) and yaw.

Force Dynamics 401 video 1 - LFS
Force Dynamics 401 - How to Ruin a Rally Car has the rig setup to match orientation instead of acceleration - results in hilarious results due to a rollover
Complete overkill - Force Dynamics 301 setup with SNES Super Mario Kart, the way the rig hops when you do a jump is awesome
Click to expand...

What would be really awesome is to have one of these.:lol

Been eye'ing one of those Playseats Evolution gaming seats for a long time. Although I'm wondering if there will be another Sparco setup for GT5 when it comes out.
 
Well I got a G25 and a Playseat Evolution for my birthday just the other day and man racing games are so much better with them both.

G25 is the wheel you really need to have if you want to play sims since you get a six speed shifter that can go into sequential mode. Having a clutch is also a bonus for games that support it. I had no idea until I got my G25 that GT5 supports a clutch. The game is completely different when you play with an awesome setup.

Just make sure you have enough space to put everything. Right now I've crammed the seat and wheel into my room. It's basically riding up against the walls but it fits I guess. :D
 
I have an entire folder on my hard drive full of crazy ideas that people have tried...

gt4stand.jpg
 
Dibbz said:
Well I got a G25 and a Playseat Evolution for my birthday just the other day and man racing games are so much better with them both.

G25 is the wheel you really need to have if you want to play sims since you get a six speed shifter that can go into sequential mode. Having a clutch is also a bonus for games that support it. I had no idea until I got my G25 that GT5 supports a clutch. The game is completely different when you play with an awesome setup.

Just make sure you have enough space to put everything. Right now I've crammed the seat and wheel into my room. It's basically riding up against the walls but it fits I guess. :D
Click to expand...

Is the clutch pressure sensative? Or rather does the game have engagement points for your clutch or do you pretty much just stomp on it? I'm pretty turned off by the plastic clickity shifter on the G25 but might consider it for the clutch.
 
So ive been looking for a racing wheel stand for the 360 wheel, then I ran across this awesome design by another forum poster on another forums. Needless to say it works great, spent about 40 bucks on materials, you can probably come out cheaper though. Well anyways, the top and bottom parts are fully adjustable, nice and stable too. Highly recommended. All props to this guy.

http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums...g wheel&st=0

Not completely finished, still have to paint it and sand some edges, other than that, its almost there.

1000059n.jpg
 
I have yet to receive my Fanatec wheel, but I intend to just use a Fanatec Wheel Stand with it. No fancy setup for me.

rsws_01.jpg

rsws_02.jpg

rsws_03.jpg

rsws_04.jpg

rsws_05.jpg
 
I use a Playseat Evolution with the shifter add on. I use it mainly for flight sims and my Ace Edge HOTA's. The shifter add on is a tad low but works with the HOTA's throttle.
 
Great timing on this thread. I've been a longtime lurker on the RSC DIY hardware forums and am waiting for the plans for the t-slot based kit talked about in this thread to release - $9 plans, under $400 for everything, (under $300 without the seat) for a DIY kit that's sturdy and pretty slick.
 
I made one similar to the pics above, just slides right up to my couch. Once thing I did which I don't commonly see was adding a riser to the back of the pedals to raise the back considerably, which gives a more realistic feel. (Pedal travel is more horizontal, like a car.) I also removed the lap plate on the bottom of the MS wheel assembly to mount the housing directly to the stand.

Built it in less than an hour with scrap 2x4s and plywood in the garage. (Benefits of being a redneck.)

The time consuming part is figuring out exactly how to build it, so it will fit you/your situation perfectly. Cutting and assembly is the easy part.

Can take pics if interested.
 
The Fanatec Wheel Stand is exactly what I was looking for. I don't want a full size racing seat in my living room, and this looks sturdy enough. Does anyone have any bad experiences with it?
 
archnemesis said:
The Fanatec Wheel Stand is exactly what I was looking for. I don't want a full size racing seat in my living room, and this looks sturdy enough. Does anyone have any bad experiences with it?
Click to expand...
Here's a review someone made on it a while back with a G25:

RennSport Wheel Stand with Logitech G25 (but he forgot the shifter adapter). I'm pretty sure his comments about the manual have been addressed since this video was made, as I don't recall running into the same issue when I put together mine
Follow-up review once he got the shifter adapter attached, though his comments about the extra fees shouldn't apply if you order it with the wheel stand to avoid an extra shipping charge for a separate order.
 
I was planning to build the "Wolfgang K" stand (Google for the .pdf) but since it would be my first time working with wood i'm not sure if the finished product would even look similar to his :lol
 
Drastic said:
I made one similar to the pics above, just slides right up to my couch. Once thing I did which I don't commonly see was adding a riser to the back of the pedals to raise the back considerably, which gives a more realistic feel. (Pedal travel is more horizontal, like a car.) I also removed the lap plate on the bottom of the MS wheel assembly to mount the housing directly to the stand.

Built it in less than an hour with scrap 2x4s and plywood in the garage. (Benefits of being a redneck.)

The time consuming part is figuring out exactly how to build it, so it will fit you/your situation perfectly. Cutting and assembly is the easy part.

Can take pics if interested.
Click to expand...


yes please. Especially the riser part - that seems the weak point of some of these folding setups - the pedals being flat to the floor.
 
tempus67 said:
Great timing on this thread. I've been a longtime lurker on the RSC DIY hardware forums and am waiting for the plans for the t-slot based kit talked about in this thread to release - $9 plans, under $400 for everything, (under $300 without the seat) for a DIY kit that's sturdy and pretty slick.
Click to expand...


I like the look of that and we use the extruded aluminum where I work so I might be able to get a discount on it. The seat doesn't look too comfortable though, I'd probably go with a race seat instead.
 
I just got the MS wheel and i'm getting a DFGT when GT5 comes out so i'll get the Wheel Stand Pro (for both, the pack) soon.

I dont have much space (or money) so this is pretty much the only solution. Either that or building one but i think it would fall appart in a couple of hours. Not much skill there
 
XiaNaphryz said:
I have yet to receive my Fanatec wheel, but I intend to just use a Fanatec Wheel Stand with it. No fancy setup for me.

rsws_01.jpg

rsws_02.jpg

rsws_03.jpg

rsws_04.jpg

rsws_05.jpg
Click to expand...


I like this, I need to look into getting one of these. Glad I took a look in this thread.
 
Dural said:
I like the look of that and we use the extruded aluminum where I work so I might be able to get a discount on it. The seat doesn't look too comfortable though, I'd probably go with a race seat instead.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't know about the seat either - I'm planning on building the kit without the seat part and adding a rescued from the junkyard seat on my own. That said, in some of the other threads on the RSC forums folks rave about how comfortable those 'custom mold your own seat' setups are, so maybe it's more comfortable than it looks. It just sounded like too much of a hassle to do compared to adding a factory car seat to it for me.
 
I also bought a Playseats cockpit, but I went with the cheaper model than some of y'all (the Classic).

It's great, I love it. I bought it with the Driving Force GT and position it so that I'm sitting just a couple of feet from my 50" screen...so it's a nice replication of the arcade setting I wanted.

My only problem is that I didn't really think about the logistics of having a setup so bulky. I never intended for it to stay in one dedicated spot, the plan was to store it in a corner of my room then take it down the hall to my tiny den when it's time to play. Well, because of hwo many cables end up strapped to the unit, it's a bit of a pain to do that. As a result, it's been days since I've used it. Once I tuck it away, I don't want to lug it back...but hopefully I'll find an easy solution to that.

I'd be much better served by one of those foldable stands that have been posted in this thread, but to be honest, I didn't know they existed. Lesson learned.
 
I have a black Playseat alcantara, that I use with the MS wheel and the Logitech G25.
I managed to get hold of a Buttkicker Gamer and attached it to the shift holder for added effect.
No monitors attached, because it would require to have an entire setup dedicated to racing games, and I use my multimonitor setup for other things besides gaming.

That said, having a "cockpit" adds a lot of stability to a wheel setup, it's great, and allows for a more natural driving position.
I've decided for the Playseat just because the other solutions where more expensive.

Now I'm waiting for the Fanatec wheel to ship, so I will be able to use a single wheel for everything. :)

@Toy Soldier:
You could secure it to a wooden platform, like I did, and add some wheels, so you can at least move it around the house.
 
XiaNaphryz said:
Here's a review someone made on it a while back with a G25:

RennSport Wheel Stand with Logitech G25 (but he forgot the shifter adapter). I'm pretty sure his comments about the manual have been addressed since this video was made, as I don't recall running into the same issue when I put together mine
Follow-up review once he got the shifter adapter attached, though his comments about the extra fees shouldn't apply if you order it with the wheel stand to avoid an extra shipping charge for a separate order.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Ordered it just now and I didn't have to pay the extra shipping charge for the shifter adapter.
 
ok, what about seating to go with something like the wheelstand pro or Rennsport? Is a sofa too high? Do you need to be sitting on the floor on a beanbag or something?

anyone got pics of their setups?
 
I've got an Obutto cockpit, and a Fanatec wheel/shifter/pedal set-up on order. The shipping dates for everything are still a bit nebulous, but it appears that everything should show up right around the Forza 3 release date. Once I get everything, I can let you know how it works.

I am not looking forward to schlepping the cockpit in and out of the garage. I already have to deal with an ION drum set. But, it seemed crazy to me to spend $100+ on a (comparatively) rinky-dink "wheel stand", while a (comparatively) luxurious cockpit is only $200+. But, yeah, the convenience factor is not lost on me.

I won't be using the monitor stand on the cockpit. Instead, I just nose it right up to my 58" TV. Hopefully, the relative heights will work out okay. I've got an old pic of my set-up somewheres.... Ah, here it is. I suspect that the TV will be a bit "too high" for my liking. I may want to raise the cockpit up a tad. Somehow. We shall see.
 
>yes please. Especially the riser part - that seems the weak point of some of these folding setups - the pedals being flat to the floor.

Ok, here ya go. It ain't pretty, I'm a function over form kinda guy. Planned on painting it, but it's been 2 years already.

Here's an overhead shot:
wheelstand-right.jpg


Keep in mind, I made this oversize, as I'm 6'4, and I can give the wheel a workout. (I'm convinced the models with the single vertical shaft mount wouldn't stand up to my thrashing.)

Left profile:
wheelstand-left.jpg


Front. Plenty of legroom and no way will it tip left or right.
wheelstand-front.jpg


I placed the crossbrace (stability requirement) here to double as a pedal riser.
pedals-left.jpg


Pedals profile shot. There are 3 pieces for the pedal mount. No modification has been made to the pedal assembly, it is essentially clamped in place, with soft space-age material as a cushion.
pedals-profile.jpg


Pedals front. It took a couple tries to get this just right. I hate the pedal base moving around, and it wasn't made with size 16 feet in mind. This piece acts as a clamp to the base to hold it down and butts up against the center of the base to keep it from moving at all.

The best part is it's like an actual floorboard to my heels, instead of an area inside a plastic box.
pedals-front.jpg



Wheel profile. I have removed the lap mount, which makes the assembly more sturdy and less flexible, and gives the wheel a more appropriate profile. I have 8 screws going into the original screw holes for the lap mount, so no mod to the wheel itself.

The top plate is angled to afford proper racing wheel tilt.
wheel-profile.jpg


In the end, I could have made it a bit narrower, but I'd rather have too much room than not enough, and it wasn't enough to disassemble, recut and reassemble.

When using this wheel on my particular couch, I am in a typical racing posture, without a complete cockpit.
 
mrklaw said:
ok, what about seating to go with something like the wheelstand pro or Rennsport? Is a sofa too high? Do you need to be sitting on the floor on a beanbag or something?
Click to expand...
A sofa is by no means too high with a Rennsport stand. My sofa's pretty low, I had to set mine up at the lowest height setting.
 
Agent Ironside said:
So ive been looking for a racing wheel stand for the 360 wheel, then I ran across this awesome design by another forum poster on another forums. Needless to say it works great, spent about 40 bucks on materials, you can probably come out cheaper though. Well anyways, the top and bottom parts are fully adjustable, nice and stable too. Highly recommended. All props to this guy.

http://www.seasonedgamers.com/forums...g wheel&st=0

Not completely finished, still have to paint it and sand some edges, other than that, its almost there.

1000059n.jpg
Click to expand...

What exactly are those parts that make it adjustable? What are they called and what section of the hardware store would you find them?
 
For those of you looking for something more than a wheel stand but don't necessarily want to completely go the DIY route in terms of finding parts, Fanatec also offers a cockpit rig though it's a bit pricey:

Here's a thread on GT Forums covering assembly and review of that cockpit, though he's modded it and added extra parts beyond what Fanatec provides (i.e. the Buttkicker setup for the seat, and the dashboard controls - which all actually work apparently, at least for PC sims). Looks like he put it together over the course of 4-6 weeks or so.

DSC01291.jpg

DSC01281.jpg

DSC01285.jpg

DSC01287.jpg

DSC01289.jpg

DSC01288.jpg
 
to those of you with playseats, do any of you fold the seat up and move the whole thing out of the room when not in use?

I'm looking at the wheelstand pro due to its ability to fold up after use. But the playseat looks like it'd get fairly compact if you fold the seat and collapse the wheel to its shortest. I could then carry it into the shed in the garden when not in use if its not too heavy.

How big is it when folded/shortened as small as possible?
 
I just ordered a Rennsport Wheel Stand and the Fanatec Turbo S wheel for xbox/ps3. I probably won't be receiving it till November so it'll be awhile before I give impressions.

I decided on the Fanatec stand over the Wheel Stand Pro because 1. the WSP does not support Fanatec wheels, and 2. others have said the Fanatec stand is sturdier, but at the loss of some adjustability.

I figured I needed to get my order in before all the games comes out and the wheel gets sold out. I think it's the only wheel out there to support both consoles. So I'll get to satisfy my FM3 and GT5 urges :)
 
This thread popped up at exactly the wrong time :lol I'm seriously considering buying a G25/27 to go along with GT5...
 
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